Come Again!

Tag: liars

The political world is again all aghast at things Trump has said in the past, (distant and not-so-distant). Devoted Dems are saying his misogynistic words disqualify him from running for President of the United States of America. Many Reps are reluctantly admitting Trump is terrible for their ticket. A few journalists and more than a few voters are comparing Trump’s words with Bill Clinton’s actions, and then debating whether or not Hillary is complicit in any way with Bill’s sexual exploits. And is it fair to compare Trump words with Clinton actions?

Here’s why I think this is all meaningless drama, simply political posturing, and why I no longer give a !@#$ about American politics or even our political process. I personally believe Trump’s views as expressed by him in his own words re various portions of the populace are despicable. I don’t however automatically put it on par with the actions to which they point. The attitude expressed within disrespectful or hateful language is itself a reality that signals a persona I would tend to distrust; even-so, it is not quite the same as actually doing what the words say you’d like to do. So when Clinton-devotees cry out over Trump tirades, I just can’t find it within myself to hear in their voices any integrity: where were their cries for ousting Bill from the Oval Office when he was mounting Monica? Where were their cries for holding Hillary to account when she was defending sex-abusers and defamating their victims?

Also, I can’t take the Democratic Party seriously when they talk so much about what LOOKS “Presidential” and how much words matter when they can’t tolerate an honest look at and conversation about what really happens during abortions. It seems to me that Democrats think if you LOOK good, and talk NICELY, and you know how to define “is” to your advantage, then you can make a mockery of your marriage vows and !@#$ any female you feel like !@#$ing, or kill your own off-spring because it doesn’t fit in with your plans or vision for your life, or you can be actually deceitful and dishonest about your email communications (words only matter if the public hears or sees them?) and your role in saving (or not!) American diplomats over-seas, or pick and choose which hostages you’ll bring home even though we say we don’t deal with terrorists… I mean to tell you, I believe the list of Democratically endorsed atrocities goes on and on to the point where I just don’t believe American leaders are really leading an America Americans think we have. There is not as much of a divide amongst the voting populace as there is between the politicians and The People. And we are all in denial about it.

Or rather*, I think the American People are mostly in denial about it, except those that remain Trump troopers. The Trumpsters are hanging in with him for the same reason they first favored him: they think it’s time for a revolution and voting in a Trump-Type is the least bloody of upheavals. A large number of Americans are awakening from their denial and deciding they really do want to “take back” “their” country, and they think it’s a country that they once had, and they think their idea of America is the same as the Founders’ vision. So by golly, even if Trump says some embarrassing things, they will stick with him for the implementation of a larger noble cause — returning the governing power of America to the American People. That’s not what I believe, but it’s what I believe the Trump team believes.

*I don’t believe the politician themselves are really in denial. I think the veteran politicians are cynical, and they will simply use power when they can get it, and they have decided it’s okay to get it however they can get it. Maybe a few new-to-the-power-game start out thinking the political arena still has potential for good, and they will surely help make that happen. But I believe that those who stay in politics are quickly corrupted.

Meanwhile, I believe Trump is just the flip-side of the Clinton-Obama regime. I believe those particular politicians and all their power-promoters are of the same “coinage”: fully-corrupted power-mongers — their raison d’être is to Win, to retain power, to gain more power, and then to rule, not to represent the people but to Rule the world. They might think their vision for the world is the most just or the most benevolent, but it is still Ruling-the-world that they want. Whatever they have said or done is mere clay for their crafting; i.e. there is no Truth, Reality is however they choose to portray it for their political survival. And for them the ends always justify the means.

Frankly, I condemn all of them. I think they are all frauds. I think they are all in bed with evil. I believe words matter. I believe actions matter. I believe honesty matters. I believe there is Truth and Reality and it can be objectively known. I believe honoring human life should matter most in any governing body. And I believe ends do NOT justify means; rather, the means reveal who we really are; we must be faithful to our values all the way all the time.

I think the way we got “here” (to this morass of social sickness and political puke) is at least in part because too many Americans have made too many choices for promised economic security while compromising on moral issues. So the American voters are corrupt as well. Anytime someone votes for economic security while sacrificing their supposedly long-held moral values, they will get a leader who is fully willing to sacrifice moral values, and why should that be a surprise to anyone? That’s how the American voter voted.

So I’m fed up. I’m angry. I’m angry not just with the quality of leaders we have today, and not just with the polluted electoral process, but I’m also angry with all of us American People. Am I angry with myself? I’m frustrated and angry that I don’t see a way for me to participate in any of this without that participation being in reality just a form of enabling a sick system, a very sick society.

When I was younger I didn’t vote at all. I thought then that the whole worldly-world was sick. I thought I could simply choose to not be a part of it. When I became Catholic I was taught that we have not only a duty as citizens to do our part to make our society better, but also a duty as Christians to be “salt” even in the “public square.” I couldn’t figure out how to counter that argument. As much as I dislike it, it looks like as long as I live in a “free” democracy, I really am MORALLY obligated to participate. Before, I thought I was MORALLY obligated to remain removed from a filthy system. But I’ve become convinced that if I am going to be IN this world, even though not “of” this world, I really do have to do whatever I can to make a positive difference. The problem for me is that I don’t see how my vote makes a difference. I don’t see how the current condition of our political process allows for the common people to effect a difference. I am completely cynical about the whole !@#$ process. I think the players manipulate the whole operation.

I don’t accept the idea that Trump’s tirades are the problem. I believe they are a symptom of a long-festering disease. I believe Hillary and Bill and Barack are agents of that same disease. Somewhere along the road, Americans decided we had to settle for dishonest leaders. Somewhere along the road, Americans chose to give up power and responsibility for shaping our society and handed it over to “leaders” that we knew were lechers and liars.

When did this happen? And why? Why did we give up? Was it like this to some extent from the very beginning of our nation? I generally don’t think so. Or if so, it wasn’t the predominant nature of our political stream. It’s hard to believe a Lincoln could emerge from a fully compromised society — I tend to believe the Lincolns of the world are only possible because there are enough people of conscience to birth and nurture them.

And yet. If we look at our nation through the lens of tolerating slavery, then we might have to admit we were never as noble as we hoped to be or thought we were. That’s another huge topic that I’ll leave for another time.

This particular blog post has gone on much longer than I really want for my blog posts (I tend to assume if I’m lucky enough to have a few would-be readers, I dare not tax their attention span or tolerance for my raw writing), but I felt the need to write down some of my current thoughts uncensored. In 4 years I want to be able to look back and see what I was thinking at this point.

At this point while I will vote, I don’t know who I will vote for President; I don’t know if I will vote for anyone on the ballot for President. I’m rather bitter that none of them are remotely worthy to lead our country or influence the community of nations. I do believe there is, even-so, a few things I can do that can have positive effect:

Pray. I will continue to pray for all of us. I will pray for the Lord to intervene and save us from ourselves.

Live my life as I know I should. All the woes of Washington need not derail my daily agenda. I can still be kind and helpful to my neighbor, where-ever I encounter them.

Teach. I can be a great piano teacher and while teaching, simply be a positive person who is “real” yet undaunted by the “storms” that wail around us.